Matty Dog
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 01:53 AM |
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Ducati 916 in a Fiat 500
I have spent the last few years helping a mate slowly restore and modify a Fiat 500. It handles and brakes well and looks the part, but the problem
has been finding a suitable motor.
This morning he phones to say he has bought a 2nd hand Ducati 916 motor and gearbox and he wants to put it in the back of the 500!
So at the blank canvas stage of the project, has anyone got any suggestions?
North-South or East-West mounting?
How to incorporate a diff? He doesn't want to hack the body around too much, so it needs to be mounted in the original engine compartment.
I had a couple of ideas which I will post shortly. Feel free to point out my stupidity.
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Matty Dog
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 01:58 AM |
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Here's a pic of the car:
 
Rescued attachment AJs500.jpg
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Matty Dog
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 02:00 AM |
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Here's a pic of the Ducati 916 as god intended it:
 
Rescued attachment Ducati.jpg
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Matty Dog
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 02:02 AM |
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This is one idea I had. Sorry about the rough sketch. MS Paint is no Solidworks!
 
Rescued attachment 916 in 500 with Lada transfer case.JPG
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Matty Dog
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 02:03 AM |
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And here's another one.
Sorry about the size of the pic of the Ducati.
 
Rescued attachment 916 in 500 east west.JPG
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3GEComponents
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 08:55 AM |
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Try here for updates, you'r not the only one thinking about this.
http://www.f500.co.uk/intro.htm
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Peteff
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 09:14 AM |
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Good luck to him.....
I hope he's not taking the engine out of that bike, that would be sacrilege. We have a Ducati engine man local to us and not to understate
anything, he is never short of work and does have to turn a lot away.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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BenB
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 09:28 AM |
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Fiat500s are so crying out for big power 
A very similar idea to my perverted wish to put a Honda s2000 engine in a chopped-down and lowered Bedford Rascal van....
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iank
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 09:37 AM |
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Check out the posts from "uklee70", he built a BEC powered 500 speedster which while a whole different ball game technically (bespoke
spaceframe+grp body) should give you some inspiration.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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Simon
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 10:11 PM |
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I wouldn't use a Ducatti lump in anything I was expecting to start when I turned the key.
Stunning looking bikes but utter shite in reality. A friend bought one new (knowing my view (which he shared, but was optimistic) and it needed an
engine rebuild in the first 3k miles. Another friend had a Kwak as well as he new Duc wouldn't start when needed. Sound great and quite torquey
I'd imagine.
I'd get a Jap 4, and use that. Look at Z Cars if you've never heard of them, but make your own stuff and save a shedload.
ATB
Simon
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Peteff
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| posted on 28/8/07 at 11:21 PM |
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It needs a genuine Abarth conversion
quote:
Fiat500s are so crying out for big power
Because they handle so well and have great brakes?
my perverted wish to put a Honda s2000 engine in a chopped-down and lowered Bedford Rascal van....
Ditto
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Matty Dog
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| posted on 30/8/07 at 04:39 AM |
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Thanks for everyone's advice.
Just to clarrify a few things. The guy who owns the car has had a Fiat 500 with the Abarth conversion. While it was apparently great fun, it was still
only 30-something horsepower! The main shortcoming of the Fiat 500 in-line twin is the 2-bearing crank. Any attempts to get too much power out of the
engine tends to be thwarted by the crankshaft sooner or later.
With this in mind, the car currently has a 790cc twin cylinder motor in it that was the result of taking a Fiat Tipo 1.6 sohc motor and shopping it in
half, then blocking up the hole. This motor runs....but vibrates like bastard and all the nuts and bolts work themselves loose !
The Ducati motor was chosen because it's italian, like the Fiat, and becuase it should have the torque required (and sound like the
business!).
I should also mention that when the 790cc motor was fitted, it also got front discs, rack & pinion steering and much-improved suspension to help
deal with the extra power.
[Edited on 30/8/07 by Matty Dog]
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